Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for delivery, on-site storage and blending of large quantities of multi-component granular compositions. In particular, the present invention relates to a coordinated system for 9the delivery, storage and blending of multi-component granular compositions for use in the oil and natural gas mining and drilling industries at remote locations.
Description of the Related Art
Granular materials, such as sand, are used in bulk quantities in a number of applications. For example, mining companies sometimes make use of a technique termed “hydraulic fracturing” to aid in the extraction of fossil fuels from well sites. Hydraulic fracturing is the propagation of fractures in a rock layer caused by the presence of a pressurized fluid. Hydraulic fractures form naturally, as in the case of veins or dikes, and is one means by which gas and petroleum from source rocks may migrate to reservoir rocks.
In some cases, oil and gas companies may attempt to accelerate this process in order to release petroleum, natural gas, coal seam gas, or other substances for extraction, where the technique is often called “fracking” or “hydrofracking.” This type of fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. The energy from the injection of a highly-pressurized fracking fluid creates new channels in the rock which can increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of fossil fuels. When done in already highly-permeable reservoirs such as sandstone-based wells, the technique is known as well stimulation. Operators typically try to maintain fracture width or slow its decline following treatment by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. A proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevents the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped. Consideration of proppant strengths and prevention of proppant failure becomes more important at deeper depths where pressure and stresses on fractures are higher.
Hydraulic fracturing, often performed in remote areas, uses large amounts of granular material that must be shipped into the site. The large amount of granular material required in a fracking operation at a well site requires that these materials be stored close to the well site so that they may be used as needed. Usable storage space at well and drilling sites is frequently very limited due to the terrain at the well sites or other factors related to the inaccessibility of the sites. As a result, storage space for materials necessary for drilling and mining operations is often at a premium. Improving the efficiency and use of storage space at drilling and well sites can have important economic as well as practical benefits for drilling and mining operations.
Typically, tractor trailer rigs are used to transport these materials to well sites. If no or insufficient storage space is available at the well site, it is oftentimes necessary to store the materials in the same tractor trailer rigs that delivered the materials to the well site. This is an inefficient and frequently cost-prohibitive solution to the storage problem because the trailers must be parked until needed. This is costly because the drivers and their trucks are forced to waste valuable time out of service. Thus, the efficient storage of materials at oil and natural gas well sites is a critical factor in the successful implementation of fracking operations.
In addition, to the need for an efficient on-site storage system, there is an existing need for a means to efficiently control the mixing of the stored granular material to produce a prescribed blend of materials to form the desired proppant.